10 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



fish after capture, better means of despatch to selhng centres, 

 and — most important of all — a comprehensive and up-to-date 

 scheme of distribution to the people. No very complete or 

 satisfactory system of fish supply, as far as the individually 

 small consumers are concerned, has so far been evolved, 

 notwithstanding that it is recognised on all sides that the 

 public desire for fresh fish is so deep-seated that the present 

 supply might be very considerably augmented without there 

 being any danger of it exceeding the demand. 



Exclusive of the Sharks and Rays, about five hundred 

 species of fishes are at present known to inhabit the waters 

 of New South Wales; and of these, about two hundred and 

 fifty may be regarded as edible* kinds. Very many of the 

 latter are of present commercial importance, while among 

 the others are to be found a considerable number of species 

 which only await the advent of different methods of capture 

 to those at present in vogue to become of the highest 

 importance in our fisheries. (This matter is again referred 

 to by me in dealing with the individual species.) 



Though our fisheries are capable of enormous expansion 

 (and here I am referring only to that great portion of the 

 fisheries concerned with the fishes alone), their present value 

 is really very considerable and far greater than most people — 

 even residents in the State — ^have imagined. 



During the last five years an amount of 48,243,238 lb. 

 (or 643,243 baskets) of fish has passed through the fish 

 markets of New South Wales. This amount was distri- 

 buted throughout the various years as underf : — 



Year. lb. 



1903 ... ... 10,596,000 



* I use the term " edible " here in the sense explained by me in the introductory 



note to the list of fishes farther on. 



t All amounts are calculated at the rate of 75 lb. weight per basket. 



